STUDENT PERCEPTIONS OF THEIR SENSE OF BELONGING IN A MIDDLE
SCHOOL ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNER CLASS

by
Adam Zonneveld
Bachelor of General Studies, Dec 31, 2015
Bachelor of Education, Jun 19, 2018

MAJOR PAPER SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL
FULFILLMENT OF
THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF

MASTER OF EDUCATION
(EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP AND MENTORSHIP)

In the
Teacher Education Department
© Adam Zonneveld 2021
UNIVERSITY OF THE FRASER VALLEY
2021
All rights reserved. This work may not be
reproduced in whole or in part, by photocopy
or other means, without permission of the author.

ii
Approval
Name: Adam Zonneveld
Degree: Master of Education (Educational Leadership and Mentorship)
Title: Student Perceptions of their Sense of Belonging in a Middle School English Language
Learner Classroom
Examining Committee
Awneet Sivia
GPC Chair
MEd Chair, Teacher Education Department
_________________________________________________________
Chris Campbell
Senior Supervisor
Department Head, Adult Education
____________________________________________________________
Sheryl MacMath
Second Reader
Professor, Teacher Education Department
____________________________________________________________
Date Defended/Approved: June 12, 2021

iii
Abstract
This phenomenology study focuses on student perceptions of their sense of belonging in Middle
School English Language Learner (ELL) classrooms. It investigates what may make ELL
students feel a sense of belonging, community, and place as it can be more difficult for these
students to develop such connections due to potential language and culture barriers. The main
research question is: “What are student perceptions of their sense of belonging within a middle
school English Language Learner classroom?” This study was conducted using semi-structured
interviews with five participants in a Canadian middle school in the Lower Mainland of British
Columbia. The findings were organized into three themes describing the participants’
experiences (safety, connection, and engagement), as well as three themes describing the
contextual factors related to the phenomenon itself (familiarity, peer social interaction, and
teacher-student rapport). The themes of this study aim to help ELL educators better foster a
sense of belonging in their students and include a discussion surrounding the participants’
experiences and contextual factors, as well as recommendations.

iv
Table of Contents
Abstract ......................................................................................................................................... iii
Acknowledgements ...................................................................................................................... vi
List of Figures .............................................................................................................................. vii
Acronyms .................................................................................................................................... viii
Introduction ................................................................................................................................... 1
Context..................................................................................................................................................... 1
Purpose .................................................................................................................................................... 3
Research Question .................................................................................................................................. 4
Scholarly Significance ............................................................................................................................ 4

Literature Review ......................................................................................................................... 5
Sense of Belonging in the Classroom .................................................................................................... 5
Factors that Influence Student Sense of Belonging ............................................................................. 6
Sense of Belonging in the ELL Classroom ........................................................................................... 8
Areas for further research ................................................................................................................... 10

Methodology ................................................................................................................................ 10
Method ................................................................................................................................................... 12
Bracketing .......................................................................................................................................... 13
Data Sources....................................................................................................................................... 13
Data Tools .......................................................................................................................................... 14

v
Data Analyses..................................................................................................................................... 15

Results and Discussion................................................................................................................ 17
Experiencing a Sense of Belonging in ELL ........................................................................................ 17
Safety.................................................................................................................................................. 18
Connection ......................................................................................................................................... 19
Engagement ........................................................................................................................................ 20
Contextual Factors ............................................................................................................................... 22
Familiarity .......................................................................................................................................... 22
Peer Social Interaction ....................................................................................................................... 23
Teacher-Student Rapport.................................................................................................................... 24
Model of ELLs’ Sense of Belonging .................................................................................................... 26

Conclusion ................................................................................................................................... 27
Limitations ............................................................................................................................................ 27
Implications and Recommendations ................................................................................................... 28
Questions for Further Research .......................................................................................................... 28

References .................................................................................................................................... 30
Appendix A .................................................................................................................................. 34
Appendix B .................................................................................................................................. 35

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Acknowledgements
Thank you to the participants of this study for sharing your lived experiences. Thank you for
being open and honest. Thank you for being willing and kind. Thank you for taking the time to
offer me a glimpse into what it might be like to be an English Language Learner.

vii
List of Figures
i. Figure 1 ELLs’ Sense of Belonging

p. 27

viii
Acronyms
i. ELL

English Language Learner

ii. SEA

Special Education Assistant

1

Introduction
During my time conducting this study, I believed all people were inherently social beings
and that we all seek connection, one way or another. I believed that it was through these
connections that we consolidated learning. Vygotsky (1978) argues that social interaction is the
origin and engine of learning, and I agreed. I saw myself as relational. I believed that meaningful
learning came from genuine connections. Relationships had been extremely important to me.
From personal to professional, I had learned that it was imperative to experience connectedness
and a sense of belonging to ground myself in what I was learning. My inquiry surrounded an
English Language Learner (ELL) student population I believed to be marginalized. I perceived
this student population as one that may have experienced barriers to the curriculum and their
community. As a result, I was concerned about the sense of belonging these students experienced
in the classroom. I wanted to determine how these ELL students felt about their belonging within
the ELL classroom and what they perceived as helpful in encouraging this sense of community
and connectedness.
Context
I was an ELL teacher in a middle school, and I worked with students who were
navigating through life in a new school and a new country while trying to learn a new language.
These students were trying to understand their peers and teachers while perhaps not fully
understanding their need to be understood. Personality, humour, kindness, friendship, and so
much more can be greatly dependant on language. I worked with these students in small groups

2
over three years in order to help them learn English by fostering relationships, connectedness,
and a sense of belonging.
I was an early career teacher with three years of experience in the public school system.
This meant that I found myself with a very specific lens. I had been recently trained in the
current curriculum and was immersed in the newest values and ideas in education today. I was
encouraged to promote learner-centred (McCombs et al., 2000) teaching and leadership through
inquiry, project-based learning, and backwards design. This, along with my beliefs surrounding
socialization and learning, contributed to my teaching style. I taught English to ELL students by
emphasizing the functionality of language and communitive competencies (Hymes, 1971)
utilizing Communicative Language Teaching (Spada, 2007; Savignon, 1987). This might have
looked like spending the first hour of our Mondays talking about our weekends over tea or
practicing role-plays.
I had experience as a Special Education Assistant (SEA), where I worked with small
groups of students who needed extra support. This added to why I felt passionate about the
myriad of benefits small group teaching had to offer, including more of an opportunity for
socialization. Another aspect of this job I saw much merit in was the continued support given to
the same students over multiple years. I worked with the same students as they grew and
developed over the years and I adapted as their needs changed. This seemed like a unique
advantage to the types of small group support SEAs provided as students became more
comfortable and open to learning as relationships built over the years. I enjoyed my role as an
SEA so much that I wanted to continue to teach students in a similar capacity, involving small
groups over multiple years. This passion led me to become an ELL specialist.

3
Since I had strong beliefs regarding the ability of relationships and connectedness to lead
to meaningful learning, I spent a lot of my time with ELL students talking and connecting, with
the aim of building a sense of belonging in my students. They shared their successes and
struggles, and I helped them navigate their school lives to the best of my ability. This was in line
with Noddings’ Ethics of Care in Education (2013). I found that my students were more
motivated to engage in genuine English dialogue when they were sharing things that were
important to them in their own lives. I tried to demonstrate Authentic Leadership (Gardner et al.,
2011) as well as Ethical Leadership (Brown et al., 2018) as much as I could when interacting
with my students. This meant that when a student came to me with questions and concerns,
which were inevitable when they were learning the language of their school, I used these
opportunities to genuinely connect, guide, and in turn, teach English for the functional purposes
of thriving in a middle school. For example, a student might have come to me with a
misunderstanding that led to conflict with a peer, or perhaps a question they were too selfconscious to ask their classroom teacher due to their limited English. It was my hope that by
utilizing these teaching and leadership theories, I modelled responsible, ethical, and authentic
problem-solving and decision-making while encouraging literacy development and a student
sense of belonging at the same time.
Purpose
The purpose of this study was to better understand ELL student perceptions of their sense
of belonging in their ELL classes. This research aimed to help the participants better understand
their sense of belonging by providing a platform for them to meaningfully reflect on their
learning experiences. In addition, this study aimed to broaden ELL teachers’ understanding of
how their students could feel a sense of belonging in their class. I wanted ELL students to feel

4
connected socially and emotionally to where they learned. I believed that doing so would lead to
more meaningful learning and better language acquisition. The findings of this study were shared
in order to foster more community and connection within ELL education.
Research Question
The research question was, “What are student perceptions of their sense of belonging
within a middle school English Language Learner class?” The study investigated both the
potential experience of feeling a sense of belonging for ELL students and the factors that may
have led to those ELL students feeling a sense of belonging. This question was important
because it could be more difficult for this student population to develop such connections due to
linguistic and cultural barriers.
Scholarly Significance
This research was important in the field of ELL pedagogy because it looked at the
perceptions of ELL students and added to the literature surrounding student sense of belonging
and its relations to learning. This study addressed the problem identified by Osterman (2010)
when she wrote that, students who are “disengaged and/or have difficulty learning” and are
“different from their peers and have difficulty in establishing relationships,” are the students who
struggle to develop a sense of belonging (p. 258). She goes on to explain that the students with
the greatest unmet need for belonging are also less likely to do well academically and personally.
This research aimed to help ELL students build a sense of belonging within their ELL classes
when they might find themselves “different from their peers” and have “difficulty in establishing
relationships” (p. 258). My research sought to learn more about their experiences and potentially
extend my knowledge and practice in teaching ELL. This study drew upon literature surrounding

5
student sense of belonging, and more specifically, ELL student sense of belonging in order to
better understand the phenomenon.

Literature Review
In order to determine what structures, routines, or rituals help foster student sense of
belonging in the ELL classroom, the literature review is divided into four sections. First, it
outlines how the literature defines student sense of belonging and why it is important. Second,
the focus is narrowed to the literature surrounding specific strategies that influence student sense
of belonging. Third, it reviews the literature on student sense of belonging in the ELL classroom.
Lastly, the gaps in the existing literature are identified and opportunities for further research are
suggested.
Sense of Belonging in the Classroom
There are many concepts and definitions pertaining to student sense of belonging. This
study employs Goodenow’s (1993) definition of sense of classroom belonging as a student’s
sense of being accepted, included, valued, and encouraged by others, while feeling as though
oneself is an important part of the class community. This sense of belonging or connectedness is
also referred to as a sense of school membership, school community, a sense of relatedness, or
school attachment. Osterman (2000) defines a sense of belonging as, “the need to feel securely
connected with others in the environment and to experience oneself as worthy of love and
respect” (p. 324). Similarly, Goodenow (1993) reports that when children feel they belong, they
are potentially more motivated, have higher expectations of success, and believe in the value of
their academic work.

6
Glasser (1986) argues that the need for belonging is one of the five basic needs written
into the human genetic structure. Beck (1998) states, “most children fail in school not because
they lack the necessary cognitive skills, but because they feel detached, alienated, and isolated
from others and from the educational process” (para. 2). There is a significant amount of
research suggesting that student sense of belonging in a classroom or school contributes to their
motivation to engage, emotional wellbeing, and many other favourable educational outcomes
(Goodenow, 1993; Osterman, 2000). Hamm and Fairclough (2007) argue that a student’s sense
of school belonging provides a sense of worth, and is an important source of positive feelings
toward school. Osterman (2010) explains that the need for belonging, or relatedness, is a basic
psychological need and that when students experience belonging in the school community, “their
needs for relatedness are met in ways that affect their attitudes and their behaviour” (p. 239).
Osterman continues to assert that the students who experience this sense of belonging are more
engaged in learning and enjoy school more. They have more positive attitudes toward themselves
and others and are more likely to interact with other students and their teachers in positive and
supportive ways. The researchers and theorists in these studies suggest that student sense of
belonging is something all educators should be striving towards as it has so many positive
outcomes.
Factors that Influence Student Sense of Belonging
The following literature points to three factors that contribute to students developing a
sense of belonging (social activities, physical environment, and the teacher). Among the factors
that influence student sense of belonging, Osterman (2010) argues that teachers directly
influence it by providing autonomy, interpersonal support, and methods of instruction that
support positive interaction with peers. The physical environment plays a role as well.

7
Cemalcilar (2010) also argues that, “the structural/contextual environment (the physical
environment and amenities of the school, presence of supporting resources, and safety of the
educational environment) have positive consequences on their sense of school belonging” (p.
245). Cemalcilar’s research suggests that the safety students feel based on their surrounding
environment is possibly a key factor in developing a sense of belonging.
Osterman (2010) argues that it is teachers who have the strongest and “most direct effect”
on student sense of belonging and connectedness (p. 239). Osterman argues that student sense of
belonging is directly linked to their actual experience in school. Therefore, it may be critical that
educators understand how to set up their classes to create an environment, and participate in
activities and rituals, that will foster a sense of belonging. She explains further that teachers can
enhance student sense of belonging in the classroom by providing both personal and academic
support. Cemalcilar (2010) writes about how students’ satisfaction with social relationships with
teachers, administrators, and peers contributes to their sense of belonging. Osterman (2010) goes
on to say that, “the quality of the relationship that teachers develop with their students has the
most direct effect on student sense of belonging in the classroom and their subsequent
engagement” (p. 240). Beck (1998) corroborates Osterman (2010) explaining that schools can
increase the sense of belonging for all students by emphasizing the importance of teacher-student
relationships. The literature points to the quality of teacher-student relationships as the strongest
influence on student sense of belonging.
Teachers can foster a trusting and positive relationship with students in a variety of ways.
In one action research study, LoVerde (2007) worked with two teachers in a science classroom.
The researchers noted that specific behaviours seemed to lead to students feeling a strong sense
of belonging. These included teachers expressing care for the students, showing respect,

8
interacting with the students often throughout the lesson, sharing messages of acceptance,
encouraging interactions with peers, and disciplining proactively. In a similar study, Certo et al.
(2003) interviewed 33 students from seven schools to identify factors that may have been
contributing to student sense of belonging and connectedness. In this study, students described
the teachers they connected with as relatable, encouraging, and helpful. The students shared that
it was important that the teachers knew about the students’ lives outside of school. Ozer et al.
(2008) conducted a multimethod study and reported that the students described similar teacher
characteristics and behaviours. The students shared that teachers knowing their names, being
available to listen, being asked why they had been absent, and following up on students over
time all led to a stronger sense of belonging. FitzSimmons (2006) interviewed 11 students during
their transition to middle school after just graduating from grade five. From the students’
perspectives, the teachers demonstrated care when they joked with students, used the students’
first names, greeted them in the hallway, and encouraged discussions. These discussions were
most fruitful when there was an exchange of “personal thoughts, beliefs, or interests” (p. 104).
“When students felt acknowledged as individuals, they felt as if someone cared about them” (p.
105). All of these studies show that it may be this perception of care from the teacher that fosters
a sense of belonging within students. This perceived care can be demonstrated in conversations,
questions, jokes, and other personable routines and rituals.
Sense of Belonging in the ELL Classroom
It stands to reason then that ELL students would benefit the same way other students do
from feeling a sense of belonging in the ELL classroom; however, they may have some unique
barriers. According to Osterman (2010), the students with the greatest unmet need for belonging
may also be less likely to do well academically and personally. Osterman goes onto say that

9
these students may be the children who are most challenging to teachers. She states:
“Academically, they are disengaged and/or have difficulty learning. Socially, they are different
from their peers and have difficulty in establishing relationships” (p. 258). Although Osterman
is discussing a phenomenon among the general student population, ELLs arguably may
experience similar situations. Not being fluent in the language of the community they are trying
to learn in and relate to may make it more difficult than a non-ELL student to build relationships
and foster a sense of belonging.
Several studies in the literature go further in describing the nature of the potential barriers
facing ELLs from enjoying a sense of belonging. Alm (2006) argues that, “language learners
have basically two communities they need to relate to in order to develop a sense of
belongingness, the learning community in the classroom and the community of the target
language” (p. 32). While classroom teachers may be helping to build community and belonging
in their classrooms with the ELL student’s community of target language, what can ELL teachers
do to help foster this connectedness in the ELL classroom community? Shore (2001) suggests
that teachers foster a sense of belonging by “help[ing] the newcomer feel welcome” (para. 4).
Shore recommends learning to say the student’s name correctly and communicating patience and
friendliness through relaxed body language and a warm smile. Nicholas et al. (2011) conducted a
Canadian study to explore the ways in which learners’ stories are used in an ELL classroom in
Edmonton. They worked with five ELL instructors and nine ELL learners. They were
interviewed about the benefits of incorporating personal stories into the ELL classroom and
reported that sharing personal narratives seemed to help promote a sense of belonging and that
“all of the instructors identified community building as a key value in their classrooms.
Instructor one, for instance, talked about creating a sense of community, a place to belong” (p.

10
259). In their study, GEnOVA and Stewart (2019) focussed on the power of sharing one’s story
by creating a new ELL curriculum titled: “My Life: My Stories” (p. 34). The aim of
implementing this curriculum was to increase engagement and therefore language acquisition.
However, GEnOVA and Stewart shared that they encountered a serendipitous yet more notable
outcome. As students shared their experiences to improve their English skills, the classroom
appeared to become a place of belonging. In sharing their stories, they appeared to accomplish
higher language acquisition as well as foster a sense of belonging within the class of ELL
students. These studies show that the act of sharing stories, taking the time to listen to one
another, making students feel welcome, and connecting on a personal level may have fostered
student sense of belonging in these ELL contexts.
Areas for further research
As evidenced in this review, there is ample research surrounding student sense of
belonging in the classroom. However, there is room for more research involving ELL student
sense of belonging in the ELL classroom, specifically in Canada. Another gap in the research
seems to be literature sharing student perceptions, particularly for research that examines ELLs’
own perceptions of their lived experiences surrounding their sense of belonging in ELL
classrooms. There is also a need for more research identifying specific structures, routines, and
rituals set by teachers in order to foster a sense of belonging for ELL students in the ELL
classroom.

Methodology
In my work with ELL students, I took the perspective that an individual’s reality, or
perception of it, is shaped by political, social, economic, cultural, ethnic, and gender-based

11
forces. It is these forces that can be structurally and systemically oppressive in nature whether by
design or unintentionally. As such, I saw the purpose of knowledge and education as a means to
liberate the oppressed. These beliefs led me to agree that only when the oppressed and the
oppressors are part of the research and discourse, can liberation be possible (Freire, 1996). This
study was rooted in Critical Theory (Devetak, 2005) and aimed to address oppression and to
move toward freedom. Due to the experiential nature of this inquiry, phenomenology, a
qualitative research method, was determined to best suit the needs of this study.
Phenomenology is based within the “Humanistic research paradigm and follows a
qualitative approach” (Mapp, 2008, p. 308). It started as a philosophical movement that focused
on the nature of experience from the point of view of the person experiencing the phenomenon
known as “lived experience” (Connelly, 2010, para. 1). Phenomenology emphasizes
consciousness and the content of conscious experiences, such as perceptions, emotions, and
judgments. Connelly (2010) explains that phenomenology also focuses on “humans as embodied
beings, meaning they experience life through their physical bodies” (para. 2). This is an
important distinction because phenomenologists want to know what the phenomenon was like to
experience, not just the person’s response to the experience. Employing a phenomenological
approach might reveal the perspectives of the students’ experiences of belonging. Critical theory
places the experiences and voices of the oppressed as central to research. As phenomenology
recognizes the uniqueness of individual experiences and perceptions, using the voices of those
experiencing the phenomenon placed ELL students in the position of knowing. The research
method of phenomenology was used to answer the question: What are student perceptions of
their sense of belonging within a middle school English Language Learner class? This question

12
was explored by collecting data using semi-structured interviews with five participants who were
students in a Canadian middle school in the Lower Mainland of British Columbia.
Method
Phenomenology “describes the meaning for several individuals of their lived experiences
of a concept or a phenomenon” (Creswell & Poth, 2016, p. 57). Phenomenology seeks to
understand the commonalities experienced by individuals surrounding a phenomenon. In the case
of this study, the phenomenon being explored was student sense of belonging. Moustakas (1994)
explains that the process of phenomenology involves the researcher collecting data from
individuals who have experienced the phenomenon and then analyzing this data to develop a
“composite description of the essence of the experience” for all of the participants (p. 121). This
description should explain what and how the participants experienced the phenomenon. An
important step to this approach is bracketing. Creswell and Poth (2016) write, “to fully describe
how participants view the phenomenon, researchers must bracket out, as much as possible, their
own experiences” (p. 61). The steps of phenomenology this study followed are laid out by
Creswell and Poth.
1. I determined that phenomenology was the best method to explore my inquiry.
2. I identified the phenomenon of interest as ELL sense of belonging.
3.

I recognized the broad philosophical assumptions of phenomenology.

4. I bracketed myself by writing about my own experiences, context, and situations that had
influenced my experiences.
5. I collected data from individuals who had experienced the phenomenon.
6. I analyzed the data using first and second-level coding. This involved highlighting
“significant statements,” that provided an understanding of how the participants

13
experienced the phenomenon. Next, I developed clusters of meaning from these
significant statements into themes.
More detail as to how the data was collected and analyzed is explained in the “Data Tools” and
“Data Analysis” sections of this study.
Bracketing
My experience with the phenomenon, student sense of belonging, was based on my
perceptions of my ELL students. During my time teaching ELL students, I focused on building
relationships and creating a safe and welcoming space to foster a sense of belonging amongst my
students. We had many informal discussions about our day, hobbies, and interests over tea. We
played games, decorated the room together, and students shared work they were proud of on the
walls. I did my best to promote a sense of belonging with my students because I believed it to be
a prerequisite to meaningful learning. I saw learning a new language, like learning anything, as
involving a certain degree of vulnerability, and it was only when we felt safe that we could be
truly vulnerable. I believed feeling a sense of belonging was a direct result of teacher-led group
socialization activities. I was aware of my views surrounding student sense of belonging at the
time of this study and reflected on them here to bracket myself and further manage my bias. My
goal was to keep my participants’ perceptions as the focus of this research.
Data Sources
This study was conducted at a large middle school in the Lower Mainland, British
Columbia. The participants were five students who experienced learning in a middle school ELL
class the previous year. They were all proficient English speakers and so no longer participated
in the ELL program. The participants listed and described here chose their preferred pseudonyms
and personal pronouns:

14
“Seoyeon” was a grade seven student when he participated in this study. He moved to
Canada with his family because his mother wanted him to learn English. Seoyeon moved from
Korea when he was in kindergarten and had experienced five years of ELL support over two
schools.
“Lihong” moved to the Lower Mainland from China and was a grade nine student during
the time of this study. She had been living in Canada for three years and received ELL support
for two of those years.
“Mustafa” moved to Canada from Turkey when he was in grade six. At the time of this
research, he was in grade nine and had received four years of ELL support.
“Emma” moved to Canada in grade two. She received five years of ELL support and
moved from Korea because her parents wanted her to learn English. At the time of this study,
Emma was in grade seven.
“Rav” was born in Canada and grew up speaking Hindu at home. His parents moved to
Canada from India to provide better opportunities for their children. At the time of this research,
Rav was in grade seven and had received five years of ELL support.
Data Tools
Semi-structured interviews were conducted with the ELL participants to ensure space for
detailed, lengthy responses. See Appendix A to read the interview questions. Given that this is a
phenomenological study aimed at understanding students’ experiences, semi-structured
interviews were chosen because, as oral language is developed first, they may have felt more
comfortable articulating their feelings and perspectives through speaking. In addition, semistructured interviews allowed for the opportunity to prompt deeper reflections and more in-depth
responses enabled by oral interviews. The interviews consisted of five questions and took

15
approximately 30 minutes to complete. The manner in which data were collected had to be
adapted due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Although the plan was to interview in person, the
interviews had to take place online to follow Covid-19 safety protocols. The semi-structured
interviews were conducted online using Microsoft Teams software and were transcribed using
software called Otter.
In the semi-structured interviews, it was important for me to bracket myself as a
researcher to let the participants’ voices emerge from the data. Hence, the data collection was
done with a side-by-side double journal, tracking both the participants’ perspectives and my
thoughts and feelings throughout the process. Consent was obtained via forms sent and received
over email. The parents/guardians signed a consent form while the participants signed an assent
form both detailing the rights of the participants as well as the nature of the study (as per
university ethics approval, see Appendix B). To further manage my own bias, member checks
were completed by the participants. These checks took approximately 30 minutes to complete
and involved the participants reading their interview transcripts to determine the accuracy of
what was documented. To add to the strength of this study, it was important for the participants
to agree to what was recorded and to feel that it accurately represented how they felt. If the
participants felt that the transcriptions did not accurately represent how they felt, they edited
them.
Data Analyses
The data collected was anonymized by using preferred pseudonyms as well as removing
specific names of teachers, schools, and cities. The data analyses were guided by the steps laid
out by Creswell and Poth (2016).

16
1. I reviewed the data (semi-structured interview transcriptions) and highlighted “significant
statements,” (p. 61) sentences, or quotes that provided an understanding of how the
participants experienced the phenomenon.
2. I developed clusters of meaning from these significant statements into themes.
3. I wrote a description of the context or setting that influenced how the participants
experienced the phenomenon.
4. I used these significant statements and themes to write a description of the phenomenon
the participants experienced. (pp. 60-62)
Based on the work of Saldana (2009), I referred to the coding completed in step one as level one
descriptive coding. The coding completed in step two was first called “horizonalization” (p. 61)
by Moustakas (1994), however, I referred to this as level two coding for themes as per Saldana
(2009).
The data were analyzed by first proofing the digitally translated interviews. While
proofing, I kept a side-by-side double journal tracking the participants’ perspectives as well as
my thoughts and biases. The transcripts were coded in two rounds using codes that emerged from
my interpretation of the transcribed audio recordings. The first level of coding was used to
identify how the participants’ experienced their sense of belonging in an ELL class. The second
level of coding identified any contextual precursors to the participants feeling a sense of
belonging. The themes were drawn out from the codes by combining similar experiential codes
and similar contextual codes into groups. To ensure that the codes remained close to the data, in
vivo coding (Saldana, 2009) was used to capture the participants’ words and phrases as much as
possible.

17
Strength of Study. Denzin and Lincoln (2000) highlight the importance of the “triple crisis”
with regards to qualitative research (pp. 19-20). The first crisis (the problem of representation) is
concerned with the idea that researchers can no longer directly capture the lived experience of
their participants. The second crisis involves the legitimation through evaluating and interpreting
of research texts. The third crisis (concerned with praxis) is looking to affect change in the
world. I worked to authentically represent the participants’ voices by using quotes from the
transcribed interviews to minimize paraphrasing. I gathered thick descriptions by asking openended, non-leading questions. To further legitimize the study, the anonymized data was reviewed
by both a second reader as well as an expert reviewer to determine the accuracy of the themes
coded. I have listed the limitations of this study outlined in the “Results and Discussion” section.
In order to facilitate praxis, this study suggested recommendations for all educators to follow that
might help foster a sense of belonging for the ELL students they work with.

Results and Discussion
Two distinct sets of themes emerged from the data: themes that described the nature of
students’ experiences (safety, connection, and engagement) and themes that described the
contextual factors which appeared to have influenced how students experienced a sense of
belonging (familiarity, peer social interaction, and teacher-student rapport).
Experiencing a Sense of Belonging in ELL
All five participants described feeling a sense of belonging in their ELL classes.
According to the five participants, feeling a sense of belonging in an ELL class was an
experience of safety, connection, and engagement.

18
Safety
A feeling of safety was a major theme that emerged in the data set. Lihong described a
sense of belonging in her ELL class as “a place where you feel safe and proud of yourself.”
When asked, Rav stated that he knew he belonged in his ELL class because he felt “very safe.”
He went on to say that it was like being in “a good atmosphere…where you feel a bit stronger.”
Emma shared that experiencing a sense of belonging in her ELL class felt “like you are being
treated right.” This safe and secure atmosphere made Rav feel as though “there is nothing to be
scared of.” Emma said that a sense of belonging feels “like being warmed and welcomed.” For
some participants, feeling a sense of belonging was “like a feeling of calm” (Seoyeon). Seoyeon
said that a sense of belonging felt like “a happy calm” where you “feel relaxed and focused.”
Rav shared that it felt easy and anxiety-free. For Emma this looked like “everyone being fair”
and “kind to each other.” Rav shared that he felt safe in his ELL class because of the smaller
number of students. When asked to explain why a smaller number of students felt safe, Rav
explained that the smaller group felt safe because he could be heard by the teacher. He continued
by explaining that, “in ELL there’s a very small amount of students” so “the teacher has more
control.” And if the teacher has “more control” then “bad people” in the classroom cannot “ruin
the good moments of the class.” It was the small group aspect of middle school ELL classes with
fewer voices and more control that Rav felt led to a sense of community and belonging in ELL.
“In ELL, students can do their own things without being disturbed by the other students, I guess,
and then it like makes like a different atmosphere in that group” (Rav). Rav finished his
interview by explaining that too many students or “voices” would destroy the energy in [ELL].”
Experiencing a feeling of safety as part of a sense of belonging is consistent with the
literature (Osterman, 2000; Cemalcilar, 2010; Shore, 2001). Similar to the participants’ remarks

19
on the physical ELL classroom feeling safe, Cemalcilar (2010) wrote about the safety of the
educational environment being a factor in experiencing a sense of belonging. For Rav, it was the
smaller number of students in the ELL environment that added to his feeling of safety. Multiple
participants, including Emma, expressed this safety as a feeling of welcome. This is supported by
Shore’s (2001) work when they argue that teachers can help foster a sense of belonging by
helping students feel “welcome” (para. 4). These results supported the previous literature and
implied that a sense of security and safety was a major part of the experience of feeling a sense
of belonging in an ELL class.
Connection
The second theme to materialize was a feeling of connection. Every participant described
the phenomenon as having an element of feeling socially connected to their classmates. For
Mustafa, it was “a feeling of connection.” “You feel like you’re part of the classroom
community” (Rav). Seoyeon described his sense of belonging as “a place where you don’t feel
like a loner.” Lihong explained that she felt like she was part of her ELL class community when
she communicated well with other students and her classmates communicated with her. Seoyeon
explained that when he “knows all the people” in his ELL class, he “can just relax.” Lihong
shared how important in-class relationships were to her by sharing that, “if your classmates don’t
care about you and you don’t care about other people in the class, you won’t even listen to them,
and no one will listen to you.” It was very important for Seoyeon to know “what kind of person
someone is.” For these participants, feeling connected with other students in the class was a part
of their sense of belonging. Once Seoyeon knew “all the people” in his class, he felt a sense of
belonging.

20
As previously stated, Beck (1998) argues that most students fail because they feel
“isolated from others” (para. 2). The feeling of connection to others in the class is discussed in
the literature (Beck, 1998; Osterman, 2010; GEnOVA & Stewart, 2019) as being a part of
experiencing a sense of belonging and is further supported by the experiences of these
participants. Taken together, the findings of this study, as well as the literature in this area,
indicate that a feeling of connection may be an experiential element of a sense of belonging in an
ELL classroom.
Engagement
The last theme that was persistent across the interviews was a feeling of engagement. The
participants shared that when they felt a sense of belonging, they were open to asking questions.
A sense of belonging involved experiencing concentration, higher energy, attention, and focus.
Emma felt as though knowing the people in her class and feeling a sense of belonging felt like
learning was easier. When asked why that was, she shared that, “if there’s things that you don’t
know you could ask for help, always.” For Emma, feeling a sense of belonging meant she felt
comfortable enough to ask for help when she needed it: getting help felt engaging. When
Mustafa felt a sense of belonging, he wanted to share in class; he had the “energy” to engage in
the learning. Later in his interview, Mustafa explained that if he felt bored in class, he did not get
his “energy,” so he “can’t really understand anything and… just want[s] to go home.” When
asked what it felt like to not belong, Lihong talked about a lack of concentration.
If the students don’t feel like they belong to the class, they will not concentrate in the
class. And maybe when teachers say something, they will not listen to he or she, and then
they’ll just don’t do the homework. And then they don’t know what they learn.

21
Seoyeon felt as though feeling a sense of belonging would stop students from feeling the need to
“always look around themselves.” He said that when students “know what they know” they feel
relaxed and feel as though they can work better. When looking back at his first moments in a
new school, Seoyeon shared that because he did not feel like he belonged yet, he “started
focusing on like, the details of the class or someplace else.” However, Seoyeon associated a
sense of belonging with feeling relaxed, focused, and engaged. Seoyeon also explained that a
sense of belonging felt like being engaged in learning rather than feeling as though they needed
to “protect themselves.”
If they get work and come [to ELL], but they don’t feel like they belong, they can’t really
start thinking. They don’t really focus, and they try to protect themselves from like, other
things or people. So, they don’t feel calm and like they can’t really focus on their work.
This feeling of increased motivation and engagement as part of the experience of feeling
a sense of belonging is not supported in the literature as it is in these results. Goodenow (1993)
reports that an increase in student sense of belonging may lead to an increase in motivation.
However, a sense of belonging as a precursor to engagement is different to what these
participants described. They felt as though engagement was a part of experiencing the
phenomenon. The literature suggests that students who felt a sense of belonging in their ELL
classes were more motivated and engaged due to the social and emotional investment that came
with connecting to a group to the point of belonging. Although the idea that student sense of
belonging and engagement are closely linked in the literature, this study suggests that
engagement is experiential rather than consequential. The experience of the participants was an
aspect of the phenomenon this study investigated. The following themes were the contextual
factors that set the stage for the participants to develop a sense of belonging in their ELL classes.

22
Contextual Factors
The participants spent part of their interviews explaining what led to them feeling a sense
of belonging in class. These contextual factors and precursors to the phenomenon have been
synthesized into three themes: familiarity, peer social interaction, and teacher-student rapport.
Familiarity
The first contextual factor described by the participants that led to a sense of belonging in
their ELL classes was becoming familiar with the physical space of the class, as well as the
routines. When Rav recalled his first few days at a new school, he shared that he “didn’t feel like
[he] was that welcomed at this school because [he] had no idea about the school.” It was
important for Rav to become familiar with the school before he could feel as though he belonged
there. Similarly, Emma said that she felt a sense of belonging in her ELL class when she “got
used to the stuff [she] need to do.” For her, it was understanding the routines or things she
“needed to do” that made her feel part of the ELL class. Seoyeon shared that “knowing what’s
around” him and “how it’s working” really helped him feel like he was part of the ELL class. He
went on to explain that it was understanding these “structures” that made him able to relax and
focus on other things like his classmates and the teacher. For Lihong, the only thing on her mind
in her first moments in a new middle school was where her locker was and how the bell schedule
worked; she did not have time to think about anything else. Feeling safe, connected, and
belonging seemed to come after students understood the classroom structures, routines, and
“where most stuff is” (Rav).
This theme emerged due to the volume of occurrences across the data set and while it is
not paralleled by the previous research, Cemalcilar (2010) does discuss the role that the
“structural/contextual environment” has on student sense of belonging; however, it is in the

23
context of being perceived as safe rather than the context of becoming familiar with it. These
findings highlight the potential importance of being familiar with the physical environment of
the class as well as class routines to develop a sense of belonging. The participants repeatedly
expressed the importance of understanding where things were, and how they worked, in their
ELL classrooms and linked this understanding to a feeling of belonging. This might be a new
element of belonging that can be added to existing models to help build a better understanding of
the contextual factors leading to ELL sense of belonging.
Peer Social Interaction
The second theme discussed in relation to how the participants could experience the
phenomenon was peer social interaction. The participants explained that social activities with
their classmates helped lead to a sense of community and belonging in their ELL classes.
Seoyeon explained that, in order to feel a sense of belonging in his ELL class, he first needed to
“know” his classmates. In Emma’s interview, she shared that having friends in her ELL class
made her feel like she belonged. When asked about what sorts of activities fostered such
relationships, the participants shared their experiences socializing with the students in their ELL
classes. Emma said that it was really helpful to “talk to classmates about yourself and what you
like.” Lihong built relationships by “making friends,” and then “hang[ing] out outside after
school.” Seoyeon believed that playing games together was important because it was an
opportunity to “share who they are” and learn “personalities and stuff.” Group projects were also
a good chance to build relationships. “When you have group projects, you have to communicate
with people, and you can know people better when you are in a group” (Lihong). Rav explained
that knowing classmates well led to a sense of belonging because he could “ask a few questions

24
and they will be willing to answer. But when you are new, you have to get to know them a bit.”
Seoyeon thought similarly:
When I’m doing work by myself, I’m just doing it. But like if I have other people or
friends, I just kind of chat with them at the same time. So, you get to share ideas and
things. So, we get more used to like to people. So, I think that kind of makes me belong.
These results are supported by the previous literature in this area. Although Osterman’s
(2010) research was not specific to ELL students, it supports these findings when it states that
teachers directly influence student sense of belonging by supporting positive interactions with
peers. These positive social interactions, according to the participants of this study, led to these
ELL students feeling a sense of belonging. The studies that were specific to ELL sense of
belonging discussed in the literature review are also consistent with this theme (Nicholas et al.,
2011; GEnOVA & Stewart, 2019). In both studies, researchers report that sharing personal
stories with each other add to the ELL students feeling a sense of belonging in their ELL classes.
Teacher-Student Rapport
The last contextual theme to emerge from the data was teacher-student rapport. Seoyeon
said that belonging in an ELL class came from the feeling he got from a welcoming teacher. He
went on to explain that knowing his teacher added to his sense of belonging in his ELL class.
Rav believed that his sense of belonging was partially attributed to the teacher joining in some of
the games because he “got to know more about the teacher.” Emma felt as though it helped build
a sense of belonging when the teacher talked about who they were and what they liked. Emma
continued by explaining that receiving help from her teacher helped make her feel welcome as
well: “I got help from the teacher a lot and the teacher explain like everything that I didn’t
know.” It was also important for Lihong’s sense of belonging that the teacher was likable and

25
that the class was interesting. “If people like the teacher’s class and it is interesting, and when we
ask them question and the answer is really helpful, I think it’s good.” Lihong believed that it was
important for student sense of belonging that the teacher connected with the quieter students in
the class.
I think the teacher needs to like listen to the people that don’t really speak lots of stuff in
class. They need to listen to people like that. Like, why they don’t speak in class? I think
the teacher also needs to like, they need to have a really interesting class so that people
get interested in the class, so they’ll listen and communicate with the teacher and the
students.
The findings surrounding this theme implied that strong teacher-student relationships led
to students feeling a sense of belonging in an ELL classroom. This idea is abundantly
represented in the previous research with regards to all students, not necessarily ELL students.
Both Cemalcilar (2010) and Beck (1998) emphasize the importance of teacher-student
relationships in building student sense of belonging. Osterman (2010) takes it even further by
arguing that “the quality of the relationship that teachers develop with their students has the most
direct effect on student sense of belonging in the classroom” (p. 240). When Certo et al. (2003)
interviewed 33 students about their sense of belonging, they reported that students felt it was
important for teachers to connect with them on a personal level. The results surrounding this
theme add to the existing body of research by hearing from ELL students specifically on the
teacher-student relationship element of belonging.
The research concerning student sense of belonging attributes teachers’ involvement in
another way. Osterman (2010) argues that teachers have the strongest influence on student sense
of belonging because feeling belonging is a result of their experience in class. Therefore, it is the

26
environment and activities designed by the teacher that enhance student sense of belonging. This
idea that ELL teachers may affect student sense of belonging in the ELL classroom by
facilitating activities came up in the data set. Rav shared about the involvement of his teacher
when he said, “Our teacher was telling all of us to talk to each other, get to know each other, but
before that we had to say all our names.” As previously shared, Lihong also spoke about the role
the ELL teacher has in including all students and facilitating social activities such as group work.
Model of ELLs’ Sense of Belonging
Figure 1 demonstrates the relationship between the six themes and how they relate to the
phenomenon itself. It shows ELL sense of belonging as an experience situated within contextual
factors. Familiarity with the classroom and its routines along with peer social interaction and
teacher-student rapport surrounds ELL sense of belonging which, according to the data, was an
experience of safety, connection, and engagement.
Figure 1
ELLs’ Sense of Belonging

27

Safety

ELLs’ Sense of
Belonging
Engagement

Connection

Conclusion
Limitations
There are several limitations to consider when looking back at this research. Due to my
limitations in speaking the participants’ home languages, I had to interview them in English. This
resulted in participants having to reflect on an abstract topic and share their experiences and
perspectives using the English vocabulary available to them. I would presume that their
responses would have been more genuine to their lived experiences had they been given the
opportunity to respond in a language of their choosing. Another limitation to consider was that
the interviews took place online and 10 months after the participants had participated in ELL
classes due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Other limitations included the small sample size and the
abstract nature of the phenomenon.

28
Implications and Recommendations
The findings of this study are scholarly significant because they add to the existing body
of research in a specific context where few studies exist. There is a lot of research surrounding
student sense of belonging; however, this study is unique in that it investigated ELL middle
school students’ experiences in Canada. This contributed to the field of education by giving
insight into how ELL teachers might foster a sense of belonging in their ELL students by
facilitating certain types of activities.
The first recommendation based on this study is for ELL teachers to take the time to
orient ELL students to their surroundings and explain how the rules and routines work in class.
The second recommendation is to provide opportunities for ELL students to socialize with one
another through activities such as games, sharing times, and group work. The last
recommendation to come from this research is to build teacher-student rapport with ELL
students through informal conversations about life outside of school and intentionally speaking
to quieter students. Engaging in these types of activities may improve ELLs’ feeling of
belonging in any classroom, ELL or otherwise. These recommendations are in line with both
Authentic (Gardner et al., 2011) and Ethical Leadership (Brown et al., 2018). Utilizing these
leadership theories may help ELL teachers build honest relationships while acting as examples
for ELL students by unconditionally respecting others.
Questions for Further Research
One possible area of further research is to investigate the theme of familiarity. As this
was the only theme that seemed to be unique to this study, I wondered what other middle school
students’ perceptions would be on this point. Would they agree that becoming familiar with their
surroundings adds to them feeling a sense of belonging, or is it unique to ELL students? And if it

29
is unique, why? Another area of further research is to investigate the correlation between ELL
students feeling a sense of belonging and language acquisition. I am curious about the
relationship between feeling like one belongs in the class and how quickly one can learn a new
language. Based on my own experiences, there seems to be a connection between the two. Based
on what I observed in my class, learning a new language required a certain degree of
vulnerability and that came with trust and a feeling of safety. I am also curious to know how
these results might be different with a larger sample size. Would I find similar themes? What
about in a high school? As all research should, this study has left me with more questions than I
started with.
This research provided a platform for participants to reflect and share their experiences while
helping to illuminate the feelings ELL students experience when they feel as though they belong
in an ELL classroom. With the exception of familiarity, all the themes of this study were
corroborated by previous research in this area. Personally, this study was also an opportunity for
me to hear genuine life experiences and meaningfully reflect on my practice. I felt honoured to
have been given a glimpse into these ELL students’ lives and perspectives on their education.
Moving forward, I will shape my pedagogy based on what I have learned through implementing
the listed recommendations above. I will do the best I can to foster a sense of belonging within
all the students I work with while I continue to seek further understanding of the complex
experiences of ELLs.

30
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Appendix A
Ethics Approval

35
Appendix B

Interview Questions
*Re-worded questions to aid understanding and clarifying questions are in italics*
1. I’d like you to think about a classroom last year where you felt that you were
welcome. What made you feel like you belonged there?
a. What do you feel like it means to belong in a class?
b. Can you tell me more about that?
2. Have you ever felt like you have belonged, in an ELL classroom?
3. (If the participant answered “yes” to question #2) Tell me about times when you
felt like you belong in the ELL classroom.
a. What was it about that experience that made you feel that way?
b. Why?
4. (If the participant answered “no” to question #2) What did you want from the
teacher that would have made you feel like you belonged there?”
a. What could students and teachers do in and ELL class to have people feel
like they belong?
b. Why do you think this would help?
5. Do you think it is important for ELL students to feel like they belong in an ELL
classroom?
a. Why do you think that?
b. Can you explain that more please?